Carpet sweeper with dustpan having a fixed bottom



M r h 2 1 D. E. WILLIAMS 2,975,450

CARPET SWEEPER WITH DUSTPAN HAVING A FIXED BOTTOM Filed June 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

mwew March 21, 1961 E. WILLIAMS CARPET SWEEPER WITH DUSTPAN HAVING A FIXED BOTTOM Filed June 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllll llllilllllllillllalllll r III'IIII INVENTQR. ia/za/a A. W/W/awrs Donald Edgar Williams, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to Bissell Inc, a corporation of Michigan Filed June 29, 1955, Ser. No. 518,779

8 Claims. (Cl. -48) This invention relates to improvements in a carpet sweeper of the rotary driven brush type. The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a carpet sweeper which is efficient in picking up and retaining lint and other material.

Second, to provide a carpet sweeper having these advantages which is easily manipulated in use and in the discharge of the dust therefrom.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view'with the handle collapsed forwardly and portions of the casing and other parts broken away to show structural details.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view mainly in transverse section on a line corresponding to line 2-2 of Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view mainly in longitudinal section on a line corresponding to the broken line 33 of Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated my invention in a carpet sweeper embodying structural features of the joint application of Henry T. Lathrop, Frederick W. Hertzler and myself, Serial No. 356,344, filed May 24, 1953, Patent No. 2,793,378, issued May 28, 1957. While my present invention is particularly desirable when embodied in carpet sweepers having the features of that application, it is also desirable and may be readily embodied to advantage in various other sweeper structures.

The structure illustrated comprises a casing designated generally by the numeral 1 and including a top 2, a bottom 3, front wall 4, rear wall 5, and end walls 6. The bottom 3 has a longitudinal brush receiving opening 7 and is provided with an upturned flange 8 at the rear edge of the opening and an upturned 'flange 9 at the front edge of the opening. The portion of the bottom at the rear of the opening 7 constitutes the bottom of the dustpan. The casing is provided with a discharge opening normally closed by the angular door or closure member 10, which is provided with hinge members 11 disposed on its inner side and pivoted at 12 tothe brackets 13. The U-shaped spring 14 is connected to the hinge members and to the brackets to yieldably hold the door in closed position or in open position. r

The rotary brush 15 is journaled at 16 to the end wall of the casing. The brush is provided with a driven pulley 161 disposed centrally thereof. The floor engaging brush driving wheels 18 and 19 are mounted in the downwardly facing U-shaped wheel carrier 20 which is pivoted at 21 on the wheel supporting bracket 22 mounted on the dustpan portion of the bottom. The wheel carrier has a vertical slot or opening 23 therein to receive the brush pulley 161.

The journals 24 of the brush driving wheels are en- .tates Patent brush pulley. The front end of the wheel carrier is 2,975,450 Patented Mar. 23, 951

adjustably supported by the eccentrically disposed pin 26 on the disk 27 of the rotatably mounted fingerpiece 28. This permits the raising and lowering of the floor engaging wheels to adjust the sweeper for short nap or long nap carpets or rugs. The casing is provided with rear wheels 29 positioned at the rear corners thereof.

The handle 30 is provided with a bail 31 having inturned pintles 32 engaging the bearing openings 33 provided therefor in the end walls of the casing.

Spring detents 34 are provided for the keepers 35 on the arms of the handle bail positioned to support the handle in an upright position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, or in collapsed position, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The forwardly curved brush housing member 36 is secured to the upturned flange 9 desirably by spot welding, as indicated at 37, and extends to the top of the casing. The rearwardly curved inner dust pan wall 38 is secured to the upturned flange 8 desirably by spot welding as indicated at 33, and projects upwardly to embrace a substantial arc of the brush with its upper edge 49 disposed closely adjacent to the bristles of the brush and adjacent to but below the horizontal plane of the top of the brush.

The wall 38 is folded outwardly upon itself at 41, the folded portion being spot welded at 42 and terminating in the downwardly inclined flange 43 having a serrated edge 44. This flange is in substantially spaced relation to the bottom of the dust pan. Its purpose is to prevent fluff and other materials collected in the dust pan from working over the upper edge of the wall 38 and onto the brush.

A comb 45 is mounted on the brush housing member 36 which is offset at 46 to receive the rear edge of the comb, the comb being secured to the housing member by spot welding indicated at 47. The comb desirably has interspersed long and short teeth and projects toward the upper edge of the pan wall 38, the end of its long teeth spaced therefrom but being quite closely adjacent thereto, as is shown in Fig. 2.

With this arrangement of parts the sweeper is highly effective in its sweeping action and the delivery of the fluff and other materials picked up by the brush into the dust pan. The flange or guard 43 prevents material picked up and deposited in the dust pan from Working up and over the wall 33 and onto the brush to be again deposited on the carpet, rug, or other surface over which the sweeper is manipulated.

The tendency of fluff and other material collected in the dust pan to work over the wall 38 is increased where the sweeper is operated with a substantial amount of material in the dust pan but it is desirable under any conditions, particularly in the matter of preventing light fluff from working 'over the wall and onto the brush.

I have illustrated and described my invention in a highly practical embodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other embodiments or adaptations as it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

'1. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a casing comprising a bottom, a top, and front, rear and end walls, the bottom having a longitudinal brush opening therein, the portion of the casing bottom at the rear of the opening constituting a fixed dustpan bottom, the casing having a dustpan discharge opening at the rear and above said bottom provided with a forwardly opening closure, a brush rotatably mounted in said casing to project through said opening in said bottom thereof, a floor wheel drivingly associated with said brush, a fixedly mounted forwardly 7 3 curved brush housing member extending from the front edge of said brush opening in said bottom to the top of the casing, a rearwardly curved inner dustpan wall projecting upwardly from the rear edge of said brush opening in said bottom with its upper edge disposed closely adjacent to the brush and adjacent to but below the horizontal plane tangential to the top of the brush, the upper edge of the dustpan wall being folded rearwardly and downwardly and terminating in a rearwardly and downwardly projecting flange having a serrated .edge substantially spaced from the bottom of the dustpan, and a comb mounted on said brush housing member to project rearwardly therefrom in overhanging coacting relation to the brush with its teeth directed toward the upper edge of said dustpan wall. and with the tips thereof adjacent to but spaced from such upper edge and in slightly penetrating relation to the brush, the comb acting to disengage material from the ends of the bristles of the brush and directing it into the dustpan .over the upper edge of said front dustpan wall.

2. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a casing comprising a bottom, a top, and front, rear and end walls, the bottom having a longitudinal brush opening therein, the portion of the casing bottom at the rear of the opening constituting a fixed dustpan bottom, the casing having a dustpan discharge opening at the rear and above said bottom provided with a forwardly opening closure, a brush rotatably mounted in said casing to project through said opening in said bottom thereof, a floor wheel drivingly associated with said brush, a fixedly mounted forwardly curved brush housing member extending from the front edge of said brush opening in said bottom to the top of the casing, a rearwardly curved inner dustpan wall projecting upwardly from the rear edge of said brush opening in said bottom with its upper edge disposed closely adjacent to the brush and adjacent to but below the horizontal plane tangential to the top of the brush, said dustpan wall having a rearwardly and downwardly projecting flange on its rear side substantially spaced from the bottom of the dustpan, and a comb mounted on said brush housing member to project rearwardly therefrom in overhanging coacting relation to the brush with its teeth directed toward the upper edge of said dustpan wall and with the tips thereof adjacent to but spaced from such upper edge and in slightly penetrating relation to the brush, the comb. acting to disengage material from the ends of the bristles of the brush and directing it into the dustpan over the upper edge of said front dustpan wall.

3. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a casing comprising a bottom, a top, and front, rear and end walls, the bottom having a longitudinal brush opening therein, the portion of the casing bottom at the rear of the opening constituting a fixed dustpan bottom, the casing having a dustpan discharge opening at the rear and above said bottom, said opening being provided with a closure, a brush rotatably mounted in said casing to project through said opening in said bottom thereof, a floor wheel drivingly associated with said brush, a brush housing member disposed at the front of the brush and extending from the bottom to the top of the casing, an inner dustpan wall projecting upwardly from the rear edge of said brush opening insaid bottom with its upper edge disposed closely adjacent to the brush, said dustpan wall having a rearwardly and downwardly projecting flange substantially spaced from the bottom of the dustpan, and a fixedly mounted comb disposed at the rear of said housing rnemher and in overhanging coacting relation to the brush with its teeth directed rearwardly toward the upper edge of said dustpan wall with the tips thereof penetrating the brush in spaced relation to such upper edge, the comb acting to disengage material from the brush and direct it into the dustpan over the upper edge of said front dustpan wall.

4. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a casing comprising a bottom, atop, and front, rear and end walls,

4 the bottom having a longitudinal brush opening therein, the portion of-the casing bottom at the rear of the opening constituting a fixed dustpan bottom, the casing having a dustpan discharge opening at the rear and above said bottom, a brush rotatably mounted in said casing to project through said opening in said bottom thereof, a floor wheel drivingly associated with said brush, an inner dustpan wall projecting upwardly from the bottom at the rear of said .opening therein with its upper edge disposed closely adjacent to the brush and adjacent to but below the horizontal plane tangential to the top of the brush, said dustpan wall having a rearwardly projecting flange substantially spaced from the bottom of the dustpan, a comb disposed in overhanging coacting relation to the brush with its teeth directed rearwardly toward the upper edge of said dustpan wall and with the tipsthereof adjacent and penetrating the brush in spaced relation to such upper edge, the comb acting to disengage material from .the brush and direct it into the dustpan over the upper edge of said front dustpan wall, the said flange on said dustpan wall acting to prevent such material from working over said wall onto the brush.

5. A carpet sweeper comprising a casing, a brush rotatably mounted in said casing, a floor wheel having driving connection to said brush, a dustpan including an inner wall extending upwardly from the bottom of the dustpan with its-upper edge disposed closely adjacent to the'periphery of'the brush and adjacent to but spaced below the horizontal plane tangential to the top of the brush, said inner Wall having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined flange on its rear side spaced from its upper edge, said flange having a serrated edge, and a comb disposed above -the brush in overhanging relation to and with its teeth directed rearwardly with the tips penetrating 'the brush adjacent to but spaced from the upper edge .of said inner wall.

6. A carpet sweeper comprising a casing, a brush rotatably mounted in said casing, a floor wheel having driving connection to said brush, a dustpan including an inner wall extending upwardly from the bottom of the dustpan with its upper edge disposed closely adjacent to the periphery of the brush and adjacent to but spaced below the horizontal plane tangential to the top of the brush, said inner wall having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined flange on its rear side, and a comb disposed above the brush with its teeth directed rearwardly and downwardly with the tips thereof penetrating the brush adjacent to but spaced from the upper edge of said inner wall.

.7. A carpet sweeper comprising a casing, a brush rotatably mounted in said casing, a floor wheel having driving connection to said brush, a dustpan including an inner wall extending upwardly from the bottom of the dustpan with its upper edge disposed closely adjacent to the periphery of the brush and adjacent to but spaced below the horizontal plane tangential to the top of the brush, said inner wall having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined flange on its rear side substantially spaced from the bottom of the dustpan, and a comb disposed in overhanging relation to the brush with its teeth downwardly inclined and directed toward the upper edge of the said wall and penetrating the bristles with the tip thereof adjacent to but spaced from said wall.

8. A carpet sweeper comprising a casing, a brush rotatably'mounted in said casing, a floor wheel having driving connection to said brush, a dustpan including an inner wall of substantial height extending upwardly from the bottornof the dustpan with its upper edge disposed closely adjacent to the periphery of the brush, said inner wall having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined flange on its rear side, and a comb disposed above and in coacting overhanging relation to the brush with its teeth directed toward the upper edge of said inner wall with the tips thereof adjacent to but spaced therefrom.

(References on following page) 5 References Cited in the file of this patent 2,032,345 2,068,943 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,625,698 166,232 Stewart Aug. 3, 1875 269,127 Shute Dec. 12, 1882 5 1,332,429 Czechowicz Mar. 2, 1920 1,096,318

6 Cranon Mar. 3, 1936 Callan Ian. 26, 1937 De Kadt et a1 Jan. 20, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS France Jan. 26, 1955 

